Leadership Insight of the Week :: GROWTH

Daniel Moore – Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel

Let me share with you my Sweet 16 Easy Steps to Grow as a Person and as a Leader.

Step 1 “Focus, Focus, Focus”

Bill Gates has said “My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things.” Alexander Graham Bell has said:  “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”  “A business leader has to keep the organization focused on the mission” comes from Meg Whitman, President and CEO of Hewlett Packard. Bruce Lee, puts it this way “The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus”. 

Step 2 “If you are not innovating and moving ahead, you are falling behind."

“The question is not whether we are able to change but whether we are changing fast enough” - Angela Merkel, German Chancellor. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have told me a faster horse” said Henry Ford. This thought is nothing new. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said “Nothing useful can be accomplished without change.”  Former US President, Abraham Lincoln observed “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

Step 3 “Listen More, Talk Less."

Indra Nooyi, Pepsi CEO, confirms “Listening to other people really makes a difference.” David Novak, Former Yum! BrandsCEO tells us to “get inside the minds of those you deal with. Understand how they think and why. Everyone I meet knows something I don’t.”

Step 4 “Attract the best people."

“Employees are a company's greatest asset - they're your competitive advantage. You want to attract and retain the best. An important mark of a good leader is to know that you don’t know it all”, according to Anne Mulcahy, Former Chairperson and CEO of Xerox.

Step 5 “Demand intelligence, judgment and values.”

None other than Warren Buffett is clear that you “hire integrity and intelligence”. You can train almost anyone in the basic fundamentals of a specific job, but it’s a lot harder to train someone to have intelligence, integrity, judgment, energy, balance and the drive to get things done. This is important because as Henry David Thoreau, renowned poet and philosopher, has phrased it “Always you have to contend with the stupidity of men.”  Similarly, Albert Einstein has said, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

Step 6 “Simplify."

Steve Jobs’ mantra is “focus and simplicity” saying “Simple can be harder than complex:  You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.  But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

Step 7 “Be proactive.”

Benjamin Franklin believed “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”  “Be active, not passive in the pursuit of your goal. Do not let a day go by without taking at least one step forward” - Thomas Edison.

               

Step 8 “Let the situation dictate the approach that best accomplishes the end goal."

General George Washington and later the first President of the United States was known as a great general for his ability to identify the situation and respond accordingly. Several times when faced with situations that did not allow for normal military actions to have a reasonable chance for success, he improvised to save the Continental Army and to fight another day arguably allowing the ultimate formation of the United States. World War II hero, George Patton, put it this way “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Step 9 “You can’t please everyone.”

Herbert B. Swope, three time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for reporting says, “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure:  which is try to please everybody.”

Step 10 “Leadership is not impersonal.”

Mahatma Gandhi lived by the adage “Your ability is secondary; it’s your heart that matters the most”.  Dr. John C. Maxwell, international speaker and author who has sold more than 16 Million books on personal growth and leadership puts it this way “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Step 11 "Never neglect details."

“Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant” explains Colin Powell, Former US Secretary of State and retired four-star general.

Step 12 “Lack of a decision can be worse than a wrong decision."

Former Prime Minister of Britain Margaret Thatcher was known for her decisiveness in times of crisis. She was called the “Iron Lady” in recognition of her willingness to take positions and make decisions. There is also the Chinese proverb “Man who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the man doing it.”

Step 13 “Empower your people.”

Lao Tzu, Founder of Taoism and an ancient Chinese philosopher, illuminates this step by observing “When the best leader’s work is done, the people say ‘We did it ourselves”. Robert Greenleaf, Founder of the Savant Leadership, puts it this way “The best leader always demands excellence but only after putting her/his people first, setting a clear vision for them and providing a supporting environment designed to help them reach their potential.”

Step 14 “Be a passionate optimistic.”

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” - Winston Churchill.

Step 15 “If your employees are not bringing you their problems, you are not their leader."

Aristotle – “Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position.”  You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership” notes Dwight D. Eisenhower, Former US President.

Step 16 "Have fun."

“People are more productive and engaged when they have fun both on the job and at home.” - Dan Moore

I know you will be aware of additional and probably better examples and quotes. Please send me an email with your thoughts, quotes and examples.